Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

British Museum: Ethiopia

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to request that the British Museum (1) de-accession 11 Ethiopian altar tablets (tabots) which they have held since 1868, and (2) return them to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The British Museum operates at arm’s length and independently of HM Government. Decisions relating to the care and management of the objects in their collections are therefore a matter for its trustees. This responsibility of the trustees is set out in the museum’s legislation, the British Museum Act 1963, which also describes the limited circumstances under which the museum may deaccession items from its collections.

Musicians: EU Countries

Baroness Merron: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the ability of (a) under-25s, (b) musicians from less privileged socio-economic backgrounds, and (c) working-class musicians, to tour in the EU under the terms of the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, and (2) the frequency of such musicians doing so.

Baroness Merron: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many days of visa free and work permit touring is allowed per visit for a musician based in the UK and with UK citizenship, for each of the 19 EU Member States described as allowing visa and work permit free touring.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: This government recognises the importance of the UK’s creative and cultural industries, not only to the economy and international reputation of the United Kingdom, but also to the wellbeing and enrichment of our people. We want musicians and performers to be able to tour abroad easily, as we understand it is a vital part at every stage of a musician’s and performer’s career.Member States of the European Union are principally responsible for deciding the rules governing what work UK visitors can undertake in the EU. That is why we have spoken to every Member State about the importance of touring. Following these talks 19 out of 27 Member States have confirmed that UK musicians do not require visas or work permits for some short term touring. In the majority of cases this is for at least 30 days. Other Member States, including France and Germany, allow visas or work permits for some short term touring for up to three months. Travellers should always check what requirements they need to fulfill with the EU Member State to which they are travelling.We want our world-leading creative and cultural artists to travel widely, learning their craft, growing their audiences and showing the best of British creativity to the world. That is why we are looking carefully at proposals for a new Creative Export Office that could provide further practical help to support individuals and businesses in touring.

Libraries: Electronic Equipment

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce loan schemes at libraries for electronic devices to encourage citizens to become more digitally capable.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The provision of public library services in England is a matter for local authorities to determine. The responsibility for libraries in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales rests with the respective devolved administration.Local authorities in England have a statutory duty under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service. They are responsible for determining the delivery of a modern and efficient library service that meets the requirements of their communities. In considering how best to deliver this statutory duty, each local authority can, if they wish, consider the provision of loaning out electronic devices.Whilst this is not a matter for the department to require, we understand that the provision of portable devices to lend is something library services are increasingly delivering. We know that at least a quarter of library services in England already provide portable electronic devices for loan, generally targeted to those more likely to be digitally disadvantaged. ​​I learned about an example of this at Manchester Central Library in my visit during Libraries Week.

Gambling: Internet

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of support provided by major online gambling companies to tackle problem gambling.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: HM Government recognises the role the industry can play in supporting efforts to tackle problem gambling. Operators are required by the Gambling Commission to monitor play to detect customers who are at risk of harm, to intervene to prevent harm, to provide safer gambling tools and self-exclusion schemes including Gamstop, and to direct them to safer gambling information and support.We welcome recent steps taken to raise standards across the sector, such as the Betting & Gaming Council’s codes of conduct on high value customer schemes and online product design. Gambling operators licensed by the Gambling Commission are also required to make a contribution to fund research, prevention or treatment of problem gambling. The Government secured a commitment from five major operators to increase their contributions tenfold over 4 years, from 0.1% to 1% of Gross Gambling Yield, raising £100 million for treatment by 2023/24.The Government is also taking action to tackle problem gambling. Following recent measures such as the ban on credit card gambling and the commitment to increase the number of specialist NHS clinics, we are reviewing the Gambling Act 2005 to ensure it is fit for the digital age. We are considering the evidence carefully and aim to publish a white paper outlining any conclusions and proposals for reform by the end of the year.

Information Commissioner's Office

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government where the money is directed if a company is fined for failing to report a data breach of personal information to the Information Commissioner's Office.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: Any monetary penalty issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is paid into the HM Treasury Consolidated Fund and is not retained by the ICO.